R210 See This Life From God’s Perspective

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based breaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on perspective just a moment. Dr. was in Texas in Colossians chapter 3 we want you know where here for you 24 seven online@ewonline.org compass government today. That's online and GW online.org shift in emphasis beginning in chapter 3 of Paul's letter to the Colossians you see this point, the apostle has been dwelling or screaming. A majority of his time dealing with the he's been teaching the men and women of colossi as he has been teaching us here at First Baptist Church about who God is, he has been focusing more particularly on the all sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ on the preeminent of Christ Jesus is you see it very important to know what we believe.

That's why it's such a wonderful thing to be able to, to God's house going to say to you, no matter where you want no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in that there is nothing which is more important for you and for me, as Christian men and women then to really study God's word together. That's what we do but beginning) chapter 3.

There is a slight shifting emphasis. There is a moving upon a foundation that takes place starting from chapter 3 in verse one and through verse six of chapter 4, the apostle pole begins to apply what we know about God to the exercise of our daily lives and so we going to move into a more practical application of the first two chapters of Colossians we going to be looking at the general subject for holy living bowl full Christian living and we going to be looking at different subjects that the apostle Paul brings up in the fabric of these next three verses that is going to help us in the daily exercise of our lives. You see, there is a proverbial question which constantly goes on on the question is not how much I have learned about God, but how I am able to apply what I have learned about God to my daily life, not DL Moody that great evangelist to save many of stated since then that they some people who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. If you ever heard anybody say that that's not you can see them like on a walk around the pit in the cloud, you know, drop a brick on the phone. It's praise the Lord and that's all I can start now. You see, listen very carefully. Folks, the apostle Paul here is going to take great pains to explain to you and to me that what we know to be true about who God is, is the practical application of who we are because of what we all given through the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not just the mere fact that Jesus Christ is come in the Maha. It's not just the life transforming fact that he has forgiven me for my sin. It's not just the undeniable that he has taken my sin and confidence far as the east is from the waist and remembers the global one biblical fact that everything that I have become in Christ Jesus is what I am continuing to be in the daily exercise of my life I am able to live according to God's standards and Chris subject in the first four verses of Paul's letter to the Colossians is simply this, how you see things from God's perspective, how to see things from God's perspective.

You see my friends today. There are too many of us who claim to know Jesus Christ, who are interpreting this life in terms of what we see happening. There are too many of us today who are interpreting life predicaments. The ups and downs of life through human eyes that are very easy to do you take people who are not will you take people who are very ill.

You take Christian men and women who are on this.

You take people who are facing divorce and separation you take people who are struggling with all the predicaments of life. Nobody say that this life is easy, my friend, but the word of God says that when you and I know who God is, that in the daily exercise routine of our lives with her. We find ourselves at the top of a Goldmine or whether we find ourselves in the bottom of the barrel in south Louisiana somewhere. I want you to know something friend. We can interpret our lives not to manage standard of interpretation but to God's standard of interpretation. I want to say to you today, that is, we pray for our nation if we as Christian men and women were to be able to evangelize and tell people about the saving grace of God that when we pray for our country.

We need to pray that those in authority over us interpret this life through God's eyes remains lives. I want to say to you if we interpreted everything from God's perspective. My print as educators we would not allow our schools to move in some of the directions in which they moving because we interpreting it from scanner if we interpreted black from God standard marketing we would allow things like abortion and a modern Holocaust to sweep across the United States of America because we would be interpreting things from God's perspective, the greatest challenge that we have today is to take what we know to be true about the unsearchable riches of God in Christ Jesus, and then to apply those things to our own hearts and lives full of siding that we are not to use this as an excuse to become so heavenly minded that are of no earthly good whatsoever. In fact, what he's going to do here in the third chapter he's going to begin to apply the he's going to apply the practice of the preeminent and the fullness of Christ in our daily walk and an outline see my friends in the previous chapters as we have studied we came to understand that the crudest attempt of chapter 2 and verses 20 through 23 legalism, mysticism, acceptances, and I ritualistically interpretation of the religiosity of life does nothing more than an Christian people into a false understanding of the reality of we are in Christ Jesus, I would good news for you today, Jesus Christ has sent me free. He has set me free. He has liberated me he hasn't set me free onto the license and the exercise of doing whatever I want to do here safely free to interpret blast data through God's eyes, and when I last data through God's eyes.

My frame is the point at which as a Christian. As an educator.

As a politician as a medical doctor as a mother as a housewife as a grandparent I'm able to do that which is well pleasing in God's sight. That's what true Christian values are all about. That's what conversion is all about. What is conversion conversion.

My friend is a change of heart is a change of mind. It is a change of my thinking of my way of life. It is a change of my interpretation is a change of mind database. It is a change of my computer.

It is a change of my behavior and what the apostle Paul is going to say here in these next few verses.

He's going to say literally, my friend, this, that if you have been born again. If you've been set free. If you have been from school. Then what you say to be true or to be matched by your behavior. If your total is about the preeminence of Jesus Christ, you will practice the preeminence of Jesus Christ in the exercise of your daily life. Titus one in verse 16 we read, they profess that they know God, but in the they deny him while they were inside me pasta Michael Wilkes had nothing to do with my salvation. You're quite correct. Wilkes's got nothing to do with my salvation. I cannot be saved by anything that I do my work are the consequence of my salvation.

They all of my salvation, that the litmus test of my salvation how I behave how I interpret blast operating this line is in direct motion to my relationship with Almighty God. Because of the preeminence of Christ Jesus is one more thing. When a person believes and what a person believes must have a direct bearing on how that person behind. I wouldn't be surprised if there's someone here this morning you come to church look good. You sound good. You smell good.

At least I hope you do and you got it all together but what you say in church does not match up with what you are outside of church that football is getting at your Paul is saying that the Christian life is so much more than coming in the church and singing and praying and congregating and meeting together.

Being a born-again believer. My friend permeates the very totality of the essence of who I am. Rules for Christian living.

First subject we going to be looking at is how to see things from God perspective. Let's read together. Colossians chapter 3 verses one through four. Bible says since then you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God say to mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. By the way, that's a very interesting phrase they what is that mean we gonna look at it in just a moment. What does it mean that when you come to know Jesus Christ, that your life is hidden with Christ in God. This goal for when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

I'm going to give you very briefly this morning. Five ways in which you are God. According to the apostle Paul can see live from God perspective. Number one, number one. Never forget who you belong to never forget who you belong to notice with me. In chapter 3 and verse one. The first part of chapter 3 in verse one that the apostle Paul moving into this practical application of the preeminence of Christ is since then you have been raised with Christ, what an incredible statement of profoundest significance. That word since then is interpreted my friends on the basis of the fact that you claim to have been born of the Spirit of God looked back a few verses look back to verse 20 of chapter 2 he did the same thing right there at that juncture, he says in verse 18. If he remembered not the worship of angels in false humility and all those types of things get in the way of your relationship with God. Verse 19 because such a person has lost connection with the head such a person doesn't know the reality of a true ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. Why verse 24 since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules on the basis of the fact that you have died to Christ on the basis of the fact that you belong to Jesus Christ, you are able to interpret this will through God's eyes, rather than through man's eyes what is called play for the sliding sleeve one of my favorite hymns now I belong to Jesus.

You see young people, you cannot be the same when you give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ last cannot continue the same way and what is saying here at this juncture, my friend, is that if there is one thing that you and I have got to do.

We must be reminded even when life circumstances seem to be so much against us.

We must always remind ourselves, we must never read but as we remind ourselves we belong to the fact that once we belong to Jesus Christ. He will never ever let us go pray that you let us pray you through a deeper walk in your life with Jesus Christ our prayer lines available at 866-899-WORD anytime day or night, 866-899-WORD 9673.

It's also great place to call and ask us about the daily Encouraging Word Bible guide. We had somebody sign up for the daily email, you could do that right now online@twonline.org sign up for the daily Encouraging Word devotional from Dr. John TW online.org but if you will call for your physical copy we produce a quarterly book that you can ask for free at 866-899-WORD again. It's actually free at 866-899-WORD 9673 asked with daily Encouraging Word devotional by Dr. Don Wilton. Now back to today's message with Dr. Don always amuses me. Sometimes when I travel around every now and again I slip up on someone by surprise. You know it's always a challenge to me to remember.

I belong to you know there is something about that, my friend, when the apostle Paul here at the beginning of chapter 3 in verse one it seems to me remarkable that saying before he choosing to this unbelievable practical application about doctrine. You belong to see the question which I'm lost every day of myself, my cream as I belong to Jesus all done time and say to me, Dr. Wilson, how do I interpret this life that I'm living with her arm in a sick bed or on the playground. All business decisions.

How do I see things from God, my friend the beginning of every interpretation must be the that I must never forget my in the Old Testament God's word says, choose you this day whom you will serve. The Bible says here either for God or you're against God. No man can serve two masters. Again, I hate the one and despise the other.

You got a love that one are you going to hate the other. You cannot sit on the face you cannot straddle the phrase there is no such thing as a hardhearted Christian. The Bible says you either belong to God belong to God, and the apostle Paul says on the pre-Christ never forget who you belong stamp tool. All the teenagers you watch me stand for my precious friend.

Nobody says it's easy to belong to Jesus Christ.

The most difficult thing in the world today is to be a born-again believer. It's not easy to be a Christian at school. It's not easy to be a Christian at college. It's not easy to be a Christian at the workplace. It's not easy to be a Christian when you're in a hospital bed.

It's not easy to be a Christian.

Jesus said if any man will come off me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow after me. The apostle Paul says you can think this life through God's eyes, not you belong number 2 2nd Way to interpret this life through God's eyes is never forget your God-given responsibilities. Never forget to God-given responsibilities look at the second part of verse one and then go over to verse two forces on the basis of the fact that you have been raised with Christ, charities save your heart on things which are above then in verse two, he says, set your minds on things which are above know the things what in the world does he mean by that.

How does that apply to God-given responsibility.

You see friends what is saying here when he says mind on things above. He's not saying that, so much heavenly good that you have no earthly value saying my friends that came as believers is to become preoccupied with writing in his letter to the Philippians, Paul says let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

Why because the mind of Christ is the seventh time. And when Paul talks about being preoccupied with God-given responsibility by sinking your mind on things which are above, he is saying we must constantly we must not only see Kevin we must think heaven we need to be preoccupied with God's purpose we need to be preoccupied with God's plans and God's provision and God's power. When Paul says save on things which are above, he says ask and never forget your God given responsibility, see friends when God came into my life. When Jesus save me as I walk through the daily haphazard supply for the ops in the down and I begin to see things through God's eyes. Number one I must not forget who I belong to. Number two I must not forget my God-given God director responsibilities.

The Christian life. My friend is a responsible life.

The Christian life is the call to service the Christian life is the coldest seek place of God.

The Christian life is to know the mind of God. The Christian life is to seek in the way of God. Why the apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 12 and be not this will be transformed. Why, you might interpret and you as you live this life. What is it mean to be renewed in your mind what it means my friends that you have set your hearts on things above, I want you to look with me in verse one incredibly verse on going back God jumped over the minute ago right in the middle says on the basis of the fact that you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things which are above why there is where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

What is saying here, my friends, is that if you are going to interpret all the oxen and downs of life through God's eyes you must not only never forget who you belong to and never forget to God-given responsibility when you are confronted by these things Where your strength comes from God's word says where your strength comes from what an incredible word. You know what comes from the because that's the place. My friend according to God's word where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Yes, the exalted Christ in the exalted position right at the right hand of the king of kings and Lord of lords. You can read in Psalm 110 Romans chapter 8 and verse 34 Hebrews chapter 1 verse three acts chapter 7 and verse 50. First Peter chapter 3 and verse 22. Time without reminds us of the soils of our strength is the King of Kings and the Lord will quite frankly, my dear friend. I don't know how I could ever live this life without being reminded of where my strength comes from the people yesterday who feel as though they are at the end of the line they people, yahoos, marriages are falling apart.

They people yesterday who are suffering from the unfaithfulness of a husband or a wife. There are people whose husband, children of run away from school.

There are people who face this and murdering all kinds of predicaments. There are people who are facing unprecedented hurdles and get the apostle Paul says if we are going to be able to interpret life through God. We must never forget who we belong to. We must never forget our God-given responsibility. We must never forget where our strength comes from.

And then he says we must never forget our own conversion experience is not remarkable right in verse three he says for you died. I like at 19 Steve that more dancers right down the line brother.

There's no big exegesis that he says you do these things on the basis of the fact of your conversion experience.

What happened when you die. Bible says when you gave your life to Jesus Christ you died with him upon the cross you suffered complete death. Jesus said if you going to follow me.

He was not any deny yourself, but you must be willing to sacrifice his proper sacrifice your life you die in Christ Jesus you give up yourself. You take control of your life.

And then he says as a consequence, your life is now hidden with Christ in God. That means everything. Number one means that believers share a common life together if there is a born-again believer.

Paul is saying, I must go back and remember my conversion experience. It was at that moment that my life became hidden in Christ Jesus.

It means that believers share a common experience.

That's why as believers we are able to do what to draw strength from one another that great number two. It means that nonbelievers those who do not believe and accept Jesus Christ to grasp spiritual truth. But there's 1/3 meaning to being hidden in plastic means that believers are eternally secure. We are eternally secure, and that security is available. It's a free gift. Before we get away closing thoughts from our pastor, Dr. Don, are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right.

Dear God, I know that I and I know that Jesus died for cross today. I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart.

In Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting news.

I believe many of you have prayed along with Dr. Wilson in the quietness of your heart.

Maybe you are stepping into that. You know you need to pray, but you have questions let's answer those questions, give us a call it 866-899-WORD that 866-899-WORD 9673. Maybe you've given your life to Jesus Christ or rededicate your life. We have free resources for you as well. 866899673, and online@twonline.org with great resources like this discovering hearing docs and Juliet surrendering your will control this four-part study uses her own story to explain why giving is important. We are submitting to you how to go about doing this decision on the lives of the people around here that he could enjoy a surrendered life. My Laura story team dollars in support Encouraging Word this month. Limited quantities available The Encouraging Word in the newer and listener supported ministry for listening today it's been a great week broadcasting here at The Encouraging Word we continue over the weekend with some wonderful video versions of the DayStar network and more details are on our website tewonline.org what some of them there as well. That's TBW online.org will look forward to meeting you there